582 THE POSITION OF ARMY VETERINARY SURGEONS. 
the service, hut now and for ever iny seniors in rank. I do 
not envy them ttieir good fortune, hut I do protest against 
being superseded for no fault, crime, or shortcoming on my 
part heyond electing to remain in the service I first embarked 
in. My individual case may be a hard one, but I know men 
ten and twelve years senior to me in my service that have not 
yet received their^rs^f step of promotion. And why is this ? 
W e are told that a limited proportion of promotions are 
allotted to each Presidency, and promotion can only take 
place as vacancies occur; but the fixed system is what I 
quarrel with. Why tell us we are eligible for promotion to 
first class after five years, and allow twenty and more to pass 
before we attain it ? I cannot believe it was ever the inten¬ 
tion of the framers of our Warrant to perpetuate such an 
injury; and I am, therefore, emboldened to preach a crusade 
against the crying injustice. We are a small body, it is true 
—smaller, perhaps, than any other department in the army ; 
but are we the less useful ? Let us unite our voices, and 
demand equitable terms. 
It is an admitted axiom, I believe, to be prepared with a 
remedy when you condemn an existing system. The remedy, 
then, I would suggest is to give us promotion in the same 
manner as the medical branch of the army—say, after periods 
of five, ten, and fifteen years. If these are thought too 
short, let it then be five, twelve, and seventeen years. Call 
the first grade Assistant Yeterinary Surgeon; second. Veteri¬ 
nary Surgeon ; third. First-class Veterinary Surgeon, and so 
on; only let us know what we live and work for. At pre¬ 
sent there is no stimulus or inducement to a hard-working¬ 
man to push himself to the front. My present feelings are 
(and I am not singular, I assure you), to get as much leave 
as I can, put in my service quickly, and retire as soon as I 
am eligible for a pension. Give me an inducement to re¬ 
main in the way of promotion and pay, and I will serve 
faithfully and zealously, and look forward to the coveted 
few loaves and fishes that ,are to be had. This was once 
my ambition, and I have yet a little of the old leaven 
left in me. > 
In a late despatch from the Secretary of State for India to 
the Supreme Government, in answer to a scheme for retire¬ 
ment among the senior ranks of the Indian staff corps, he 
argues thus. It appears scarcely consistent with sound 
policy to create a body of officers, and to hold out an induce¬ 
ment to them to enter and qualify for a special service, and 
then to frame subsidiary regulations with the avowed object 
of inducing them to retire at a time when their services are 
